there’s no point adding 2+ hours of commuting to my day for what could be a video call.
I don’t really understand why many commenters here are expressing a sentiment that you can’t get to know someone digitally. Some of the best people in my life were met online, both personally and professionally.
You don't get coincidental conversations between people of different department with no set agenda through a zoom meeting.
I'm not saying it's worth 2+ hours of commuting. And honestly, I think it's bullshit that employers expect commuting time to be unpaid; if having people in the office is something they consider valuable, they should be paying for that commute time. But I reject the idea that those conversations have no value.
I accept the idea that those conversations have value. I reject the idea that they can only happen in person. I have no data on this, just my own personal experience and observations over the years.
I don’t really understand why many commenters here are expressing a sentiment that you can’t get to know someone digitally. Some of the best people in my life were met online, both personally and professionally.